Friday, September 29, 2006

Red Horizon

This is a recent still-life I call "Red Horizon." The tension is provided by the spider plant. The calm blue pottery sits motionless on the raging red of the tablecloth. The delicate curves of the vase are repeated by the cup and again by the pitcher, creating a subtle balance that is offset by the tension of the plant leaves. I could have just painted the pots and the cloth, but whenever possible I like to place something that lives, or at the very least was alive at one time, in my paintings. The exploring "legs" of the spider plant encourage the eye to wander around inside the painting. When I was finished I stepped back and realized that I had created a window into another world where the ground is red and aliens walk silently among the machines. Well... maybe I shouldn't have read that that Ray Bradbury book last week, but it's why I call this painting "Red Horizon."